The Architecture of a Ride

I have never been a person to remember routes by road names, my brain doesn't function that way. I have always been able to find my way from point "A" to Point "B" and back by visual and climate queues, whether those be natural or man made. Man made can be a building, change in road conditions, changes in fence styles, or one of many other things. Natural queues might be a change in topography, vegetation, or micro climates on a section of roads. there was this section of road outside of Lexington, KY that dove steeply into a valley, and followed a creek before climbing out the other side. The air was always moist, and the temps cooler. In Chicago, the architectural features of a ride definitely dominate a route. These photos were taken last week when out riding one of my normal loops.

This is an old church rectory that was turned into a single family home in Riverside. Kelly and I always say this our dream home. It is quite amazing with the stained glass wall along the southern end of the structure.

The old water tower in Riverside. I make a sharp right heading towards Brookfield at this intersection.

Roundabout in Brookfield. Not a lot of these in the States, but they do work pretty nicely.

This a pretty interesting home in LaGrange Park. I am a big fan of mid century modern architecture. The Chicago area doesn't have a lot of it, but this definitely has the aesthetic of that time.. Not sure how old the home actually is.










Super sized McMansions in Burr Ridge. I have said for awhile, thank god for rich people in Chicago with their low density communities, otherwise there would be no decent roads for riding.

This house has been in transition over the last year. The owners completely gutted it, and have done a really nice job with the restoration. The owners must be big fans of Napoleon Dynamite, since they put a tetherball game in the front yard.










I have always thought this was an interesting home in LaGrange. I really like the color palette and the weathered look. The owners have also done a nice job with the landscaping.

This is the Metra stop in Brookfield, and the place to get off the train when going to Brookfield Zoo. It always reminds me of the Flintstones.

Frank Lloyd Wright home in Riverside. As of last year, the owner was an older women who couldn't afford the upkeep of the house, which led to the roof being in really bad shape. Because of the construction techniques utilized by Wright, a new roof was estimated at over $100,000.









Rehabbed building on Harlem Avenue. The units are now being sold as condos. The owner of the building did a really nice job with the rehab.












Finally, back to our Chicago bungalow in Berwyn. Always a welcomed site after a long ride.